Portable electric lanterns or torches and switching devices therefor



Oct. 3, 1961 WING G. CHENG 3,003,057

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LANTERNS 0R TORCHES AND v SWITCHING DEVICES THEREFORFiled Dec. 51, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 No a 00 on Ms Oct. 3, 1961 WING G.CHENG PORTABLE ELECTRIC LANTERNS OR TORCHES AND SWITCHING DEVICESTHEREFOR Filed Dec. 31, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 3, 1961 wmc; G. CHENGPORTABLE ELECTRIC LANTERNS OR TORCHES AND SWITCHING DEVICES THEREFORFiled Dec. 31, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvI mo No v0 Oct. 3, 1961 WING G.CHENG 3,003,057

PQRTABLE ELECTRIC LANTERNS QR TORCHES AND SWITCHING DEVICES THEREFOR 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 31, 1958 Claims priority, application GreatBritain Jan. 2, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 240--10.63)

This invention relates to portable electric lanterns and to switchingdevices therefor.

One object of the invention is to provide a portable electric lantern ortorch of compact construction comprising a battery casing and at leasttwo lamp bulbs supplied from a common battery and independently operatedswitch means for separately controlling the circuits of the lamp bulbsin which one of said lamp bulbs can be moved within a wide arerelatively to the battery casing,

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple circuitarrangement for supplying the two lamp bulbs.

With the foregoing objects in view a portable electric lantern made inaccordance with the present invention comprises a main casing to receivea supply battery, a bracket mounted on and externally of the casing, amain lamp bulb fitted in a lamp casing and arranged to be supplied fromsaid battery, a carrying handle fixed to and extending along the top ofsaid casing, switch means for controlling the current supply from saidbattery to said main lamp bulb, said switch means being mounted on saidhandle, a support for an auxiliary lamp bulb pivotally mounted on saidcasing and arranged to be supplied from said battery, and switch meansfor controlling the current supply to said auxiliary lamp bulb, saidswitch means for controlling the supply to said auxiliary lamp bulbbeing carried on said pivotally mounted support and operatedindependently of said switch means for controlling the current supply tosaid main lamp bulb.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, and FIG. 2 is a planview, of one form of portable electric lantern made in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 3 is another plan view showing the cover open;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IV--IV, FIG. 3, looking in the directionof the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a section on line V-V, FIG. 3;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating the mounting of thepush button of the main switch;

FIG. 10 is an end view, and FIG. 11 a side view of a plastic mountingfor an auxiliary lamp bulb;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of, and FIG. 13 a section taken on lineXI'I'IX*III (FIG. 12) through, the movable switch arm associated withthe auxiliary lamp bulb;

FIG. 14 is a partial view of the auxiliary switch, and

FIG. 15 is a section through the carrying handle incorporating a diagramof the electric circuits of the two lamp bulbs.

The electric lantern illustrated in the drawings comprises a rectangularmetal casing consisting of a body portion 10 and a flanged lid 10'hingedly connected at 9 to the body portion. The casing houses anelectric battery 11 and the lid 10' is fitted with a carrying handle 12of inverted U-shape extending along the top of the lid 10'. A forkedbracket 13 is fixed externally to so as to project from one end of thebattery casing 10 and a lamp casing 14 containing an electric lamp bulb15 is pivotally mounted between the sides of the forked bracket 13.Inside the lamp. casing is a metal parabolic reflector. 16 formed atitsapex with a socket 17 to receive the metal shell 18 of the lamp bulb15, which is saws-=91 in th ee -a by t bula p a ti amp holder "nitedStates Patet Patented Oct. 3, 1961 v 2 19 screwed into the reflectorsocket 17. A lens or cover glass 20 is fitted in the lamp casing infront of the reflector 16. r

A plastic insulating contact carrier 21 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is screwedto the inside end wall of the battery casing adjacent the lamp bracket13 and has fixed thereto two contact members 22, 23, 22 being in theform .of a disc and 23 in the form of a ring surrounding the disc 22 andconcentric therewith. The disc contact 22 is connected via a metalspring 24 to the positive terminal of the battery 11 (which is ofunitary construction) and the ring contact 23 is connected via a secondmetal spring 25 to the negative terminal of the battery. The centreterminal of the lamp bulb 15 bears against a contact 15' fixed in thebase of the plastic lamp holder 19 and which bears in turn against acontact strip26 fixed on an insulating disc 27 riveted to the lampcasing 14 and connected by a flexible conductor 28 (see FIG. 2) to ametal rivet 28'. fixed to the negative ring contact 23, and consequentlyto the negative terminal of the battery.

The carrying handle 12 is moulded from synthetic plastic material, thetwo depending ends 12, 12 being hollow and each containing an electriccontact pin 29 or 30. The contact pin 29 referred to hereafter as thepositive contact pin is electrically connected by a contact strip 87(see :FIG. 3) and a flexible conductor 31 to a metal rivet 22' fixed tothe positive contact disc 22, connected to the positive pole of thebattery, and the pin 30 referred to hereafter as the negative contactpin is connected by means hereafter described to the negative pole ofthe battery. A metal strip 32 extends along a shallow groove in the topof the handle 12 and is fixed directly thereto at the end adjacent tothe lamp casing 14 while at the other end (see FIG. 15) it is connectedto the handle by a metal channel strip 33 secured to the metal strip 32by a rivet 34. The lower side of the channel strip 33 is provided with atapped aperture to receive the upper screwed end of,

the negative contact pin 30 which is thereby in electrical contact withthe channel strip 33 and therefore electri- 1 cally connected with themetal strip 32. The lower end of the negative contact pin 30 is fixedto, so as to be in electrical contact with, the top of the batterycasing 10 and via the battery casing, forked bracket 13, lamp casing 14,lamp reflector 16, lamp shell 18, filament and central terminal of thelamp 15 contacts 15' and 26, flexible conductor 28, negative n'ngcontact 22 to the negative pole of the battery.

The switch device controlling the lamp bulb 15 is operatively connectedbetween the upper ends of the positive and negative contact pins 29, 30.The device oomprises a movable contact strip 35 slidably mounted in afixed switch casing 36 secured to the'metal strip 32 on the top of thehandle 12 and fixedly connected to a push button 37 slidably mounted onthe outside of the casing 36 and arranged to cooperate with a fixedcontact strip 38 secured to the lower side of the metal strip 32 andbetween the said strip and the handle. One end of this fixed contactstrip 38 makes contact with a conducting plate 39 mounted, as byscrewing on to, the top end of the positive contact pin 29.

The two sides of the push button are each formed with a depending tag37' the two tags penetrating respectively each into a slot 36' or 36(FIG. 9) provided therefor in the switch casing 36 and being turnedinwards under the sides of the movable contact strip 35 thereby to lockthe latter to the push button 37. A bow spring 40 (see FIG. 15) having acentral projection 40' is located in slots 36', 36 on the push button,with three transverse 3 depressions 41, 42, 43 (see FIG. 7) which can beselectively engaged by the central projection 40' on the bow spring 49fitted in the push button.

The fixed contact strip 38 is formed with three upwardly projecting tags44, 45, 46 (see FIG. 6) spaced along its length which tags projectthrough three correspondingly spaced slots 32, 32 32 in the metal strip32 on the top of the handle and are turned over soas to extend over theouter surface of the metal strip, thus serving to secure the fixedcontact strip thereto. The turned over ends of the two outer tags 44, 46also provide contact areas arranged to co-operate respectively each withone of two contact areas 47, 48 at opposite ends of the movable contactstrip 35, thus providing the two pairs of complementary contacts 47, 44and 48, 46. The fixed contact strip 38 and tags 44, 45, 46 are insulatedfrom the metal strip 32 by a strip 56 of insulating material disposedbetween the lower surface of the metal strip 32 and the contact strip 38and also provided with three L-shaped tags which project with the tags44, 45, 46 on the contact strip 38 through the slots in the metal strip32 and thus also insulate the metal tags 44, 45, 46 from the said metalstrip.

The push button 37 can be moved into either one of two alternative onpositions or into an off position by sliding it along the switch casing36. A spring pressed press button 51 is mounted in an aperture 52 in theswitch casing 36 so as, on being depressed, and when the push button isin either one of the two alternative on positions, to bear on themovable switch contact area 47 and move it into contact with itscomplementary fixed contact 44.

The three positions in which the push button 37 can be moved aredetermined by the three transverse depressions 41, 42, 43 on the top ofthe switch casing 36, which depressions can be selectively engaged bythe projection 40' on the bow spring 40 fitted on the push button 37 bymoving the latter into the required position.

In position I, which is that shown in FIG. 15, the pro jection 40' onthe bow spring 4t) engages the depression 43 in the switch casing. Inthis position the switch is 011 and the movable contact strip cannot bepressed into contact with either of the contacts 44, 46 on the fixedcontact strip 38. The lamp circuit of the lamp 15 is thus open and thelamp cannot be illuminated.

In position II the projection 40 on the bow spring 40 engages theintermediate depression 42 on the switch casing 36. The movable switchcontact strip 35 has been moved forward with the push button so that thecontact area 47 is now over, but spaced from, the fixed contact 44. Inthis position in order to close the circuit of the lamp 15 andilluminate the lamp, the press button 51 is depressed and therebypresses the movable contact area 47 into engagement with the fixedcontact 44. In this position of the push button 37 the lamp circuit isilluminated when the press button 51 is depressed, and it can be used asa flashlamp by repeatedly and alternately depressing and relieving thepressure on the press button 51.

In position III the corresponding forward movement of the push button 37results in the projection on the bow spring 40 engaging the depression41 on the switch casing 36. The movable contact strip 35 has now beenmoved into a position in which the contact area 48 is pressed intocontact with the fixed contact area 46, and closes the circuit of thelamp 15 to provide a steady light beam. The lamp 15 is now continuouslyilluminated until such time as the push button is returned to one orother of the positions I or II above described. In position HI thecontact 47 can still be pressed into contact with the fixed contactstrip but this is immaterial since the lamp circuit is already closedthrough the other pair of complementary contact surfaces.

When the lamp 15 is illuminated the lamp circuit (shown diagrammaticallyin FIG. 15) is completed as follows: positive pole of the batteryspring24-positive contact disc 22rivet 22flexib1e conductor 31-contact strip87- positive contact pin 29plate'39fixed contact strip 38movable contactstrip 35switch casing 36-metal strip 32channel strip 33negative contactpin 30-battery casing lite-forked bracket 13lamp casing 14lamprefiectOr'IG- lamrp shell 18filament and centre terminal of lamp15'-flexible conductor 28- rivet 28'negative contact ring 23-negativepole of the battery. V

A second lamp bulb 55 (see FIG. 1) referred to hereafter as an auxiliarylamp bulb, is also supplied from the battery 11, the auxiliary lampcircuit being controlled by an independent switch. This auxiliary lampbulb is carried at one end of a swinging arm comprising two side members56, 57 (see FIG. 2) disposed and extending respectively along the top ofthe hinged lid 10' on opposite sides of the carrying handle 12. At oneend of the swinging arm the ends of the two side arms 56, 57 are eachfitted or formed with a bearing sleeve 58 or 59 rotatably mounted on ahinge pin 60 fitted in a sleeve 60 fixed to and extending transverselyof the end of the lid adjacent to the lamp casing 14. The other end ofthe swinging arm is closed by a plate 61 (see FIG. 1) made integrallywith and depending below the swinging arm, parallel with the adjacentend of the casing 10 and forming a mounting plate for the signal lampbulb 55 and parts associated therewith.

These parts comprise inter alia a shallow metal cup 62 on the innerclosed side of which is fitted a fibre disc 63 and a plastic flanged cup64 shown in detail in FIGS. 10 and 11. The closed side of the metal cup62, the fibre disc 63, the flange of the plastic cup 64 and the mountingplate 61, each being provided with five apertures such as 65', 65 65 6565 (FIG. 10) which, when the parts referred to are fitted together, arealigned and receive rivets by means of which the three parts are securedto the mounting plate 61. The flange of the plastic cup 64 has a raisedpart 64 providing a recess 66 and the side wall of the metal cup 62 isprovided with an arcuate slot 67 which, when the parts are assembled, isaligned with the recess 66. The part of the cup 64 projecting from theflange is formed with three equiangularly spaced slots 68 and iscentrally apertured as shown at 69. The raised part 64' of the flangehas two spaced apertures 70, 71.

A metal rivet 72 is fitted in the central aperture 69 in the cup and amovable switch arm 73 pivotally mounted at one end on this rivet 72extends radially outwards from the recess 66 and projects from thearcuate slot 67. The switch arm 73 (see FIGS. 12 and 13) comprises anarm made of synthetic plastic and is formed with a relatively largeaperture 74 and with two smaller circular apertures 75, 76 and carries ametal contact strip 77 shaped as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 and formedwith two circular apertures, similar respectively to the two apertures75, 76, and at one end with a contact pip or indent 78. The arrangementis such that the contact strip 77 is placed against one side of theswitch arm 73 and secured thereto by a rivet passing through theaperture 75 and the corresponding aperture in the contact strip 77 whichaperture is aligned with the aperture 75, the end of the strip 77 formedwith the pip 78 passing through the aperture 74 so as to project on theopposite side of the switch arm 73. The switch arm 73 is pivotallymounted on the rivet 72 by means of the aperture 76 and thecorresponding aperture in the contact strip 77. In the on position ofthe switch the pip 78 on the contact strip makes electrical contact witha hollow metal rivet 79 fitted in the aperture 70 in the raised part 64'of the flange of the plastic cup 64. A second hollow metal rivet 79'similar to the rivet 79 is fitted in the aperture 71- in the part 64 ofthe plastic cup 64. As will be obvious from FIG. 10 the two rivets 79,79' are in side by side relationship, but for the sake of clarity inFIG. 1 the two rivets are shown oppositely disposed.

A metal lamp socket 80 for the signal lamp bulb 55 issecured by means ofthree depending metal tags to the plastic cup 64, the tags beingrespectively inserted in the three slots 68 and turned over. Thearrangement is such that the centre terminal of the lamp bulb 55 bearsagainst, so as ,to be in electrical contact with, the central rivet 72.A contactstrip 81 is secured to the flange of the plastic cup 6 by thehollow metal rivet 79', this contact ,strip 81 being in electricalcontact at one end with the metal lamp socket 80 and at the other endwith the rivet 79'.

The rivet 79 is connected by a flexible conductor 82 (see FIGS. 3 and15) to a terminal screw 84 screwed into the contact strip 87 andconsequently through the connections above described to the positivepole of the battery. The rivet 79' is connected by a flexible conductor83 to a terminal screw 85 which is connected by a flexible conductor 86to the rivet 28 on the negative ring contact 23.

The two terminal screws 84, 85 are screwed into a plastic terminal box90 secured to the inside of the lid by the positive contact pin 29. Thebox is made in two parts, namely a body part and a cover therefor, eachof said parts being moulded from a synthetic plastic.

When the switch arm 73 is in the on position, the

contact pip 78 is in electrical contact with the hollow rivet 79 and thecircuit of the auxiliary lamp 55 is as follows: positive pole of thebattery-spring 24-positive contact disc 22-rivet 22'conductor 31terminalscrew 84- conductor 82rivet 79-the switch arm-centre rivet '72-lamp55-lainp shell 80-contact strip 81rivet 79' conductor 83-terrninal screw85conductor 86 negative contact 23springnegative pole of the battery.

When the switch arm is moved to the o position the pip 78 is inelectrical contact with the second metal rivet 79' fitted in theaperture 71 and the lamp socket 80 and the centre terminal of the lampare then both connected to the positive pole of the battery, andconsequently no current flows.

An advantage of the arrangement described is that in both the on and onpositions of the switch arm the pip 78 penetrates the end of one orother of the two hollow rivets 79, 79' and is thereby resiliently lockedin position in a readily releasable manner.

As shown in the drawings, the lamp bulb 55 is enclosed in a red colouredtransparent shade 90 which is screwed on to the rim of the metal cup'62. This shade can be omitted if desired, in which case the lamp bulbmay be coloured, for example red or green.

It will be evident that in use the swinging arm 56, 57 carrying thesignal lamp 55 can be swung around its pivotal connection with the lid10 past the carrying handle 12 into any desired angular position withinan arc approximating to 180, and that in any such angular position itwill not obstruct the hand gripping the carrying handle.

Means are provided for facilitating the fitting of the single unitbattery into and withdrawing it from the battery casing. These meanscomprise i(see FIGS. 3 and 5 a movable front plate or wall 90 fittedinside the casing at the end thereof opposite to the end to which thelamp bracket 13 is attached, and pivotally connected by side links to aback plate 91 riveted to the inside of the end wall of the casing 10,the front plate being thus spaced forwardly from the back plate. Thepivotal connection comprises two pairs of side links comprising top andbottom links 92 (FIG. 5) on one side, 92' and two similar links 93 onthe other side, only one of the links 93 being shown in FIG. 3. Thelinks of each pair are pivotally connected to top and bottom lugs 94,94' and 95, 95' (FIG. 5) at the sides of the front and rear plates, thelugs 94, 94' on the front plate 90 extending rearwardly and the lugs 95,95 on the back plate 91 extending forwardly. The pivotal connectionsbetween the two top links 92, 93 of each pair are out of centre. Thefront plate 90 projects above the top of the rear plate and theprojecting part is cut away at the sides to form a tongue 96, the upperpart 96' of which is bent over so as to ex- 6 tend rearwardly and form aconvenient finger grip for moving the front wall.

The arrangement permits the front plate to be lifited and at the sametime swung backwards into the position shown in dotted lines when thebattery 11 is to be placed in the casingand afiter the battery has beeninserted, the plate 90 isswung downwards and inwards into the full lineposition so as to come to bear on the end of the battery andholdi itfirmly in position in the casing iii.

It will be noticed that by reason of the eccentric disposition of thepivotal connections between the two top links 92, 93 of each pair thefront-plate 96 will exert a wedging action on the end of the battery.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric lantern comprising a main casing to receive a supplybattery, a main lamp bulb mounted on said main casing and arranged to besupplied from said battery, a carrying handle fixed to and extendingalong the top of said casing, switch means for controlling the currentsupply from said battery to said main lamp bulb, said switch means beingmounted on said handle, a support for an auxiliary lamp bulb, one end ofsaid support being pivotally mounted on said main casing so as to extendalong the top thereof and to swing about an axis transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said main casing, an auxiliary lamp bulb mounted onthe free end of said support and arranged to be supplied from saidbattery, and switch means for controlling the current supply to saidauxiliary lamp bulb, said switch means for controlling the supply tosaid auxiliary lamp bulb being carried on said pivotally mounted supportand operated independently of said switch means for controlling thecurrent supply to said main lamp bulb.

2. An electric lantern according to claim 1 in which said handle is ofinverted U-shape and said support for said auxiliary lamp bulb comprisestwo side members, and further comprising a pivot pin fixed to and acrossthe top and at one end of said casing, said side members being pivotallymounted at one end on said pivot pin and extending respectively onopposite sides of said carrying handle, a plate extending across andconnected tosaid side members at the other end thereof, said plateextending substantially parallel with the end of said battery casing andconstituting a mounting plate for the auxiliary lamp bulb.

3. An electric lantern according to claim 1 wherein the switch means forcontrolling the current supply from said battery to said main lamp bulbcomprises a switch casing, movable and fixed contact strips, a pushbutton slidable on the switch easing into any one of three positionscomprising an off position and two on positions defined respectively bythree transverse depressions on said switch casing, a resilient memberfitted in said push button, said resilient member having a projectionwhich can be selectively sprung into and out of engagement with one orother of said depressions, and a press button mounted in an aperture inthe switch casing above said movable contact strip, the arrangementbeing such that in the off position of the push button the press buttonis not aligned with the movable contact strip, while in a first onposition the press button can be depressed to bring the movable contactstrip into contact with the fixed contact strip and thereby close thecircuit of the main lamp bulb, and in a second on position the pushbutton closes the circuit to provide a steady light beam.

4. An electric lantern according toclaim 1 for use with a supply batteryof unitary construction having both poles at one end further comprisingmeans for locating and holding said battery in position in said casing,said means comprising a pivotally mounted frame secured to the end ofthe casing so as to bear on the end of the battery remote from the polarend thereof, said frame comprising front and back plates, a pair of topand bottom links on each side of said front and back plates and pivotalconnections between said links and said front and back plates, thepivotal connections between the two top links and the front plate beingeccentrically disposed relatively to the pivotal connections between thetwo top links and the back plate whereby the front plate can be swungoutwardly to permit the battery to be fitted in said main casing andsubsequently swung inwardly to exert a wedging action on said batterywhen the latter is fitted in said main casing.

5. An electric lantern according to claim 1 in which the switch meansfor controlling the current supply to said auxiliary lamp bulb comprisesa movable switch member and two fixed contacts co-operating with saidmovable switch member, and further comprising means for permanentlyconnecting said two fixed switch contacts to the positive and negativepoles of said supply battery, said means comprising a plastic terminalbox, two terminals fixed in said box, flexible conductor meansconnecting one of said terminals to one of said fixed switch contactsand to the positive pole of the battery, and flexible conductor meansconnecting the other of said terminals to the other of said fixed switchcontacts and to the negative pole of the battery.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

